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If you have problems viewing the newsletter photos or text, go to http://www.jeanquan.org/newsletters/News201.htm Leaving the house last Saturday to speak at the Firestorm Remembrance, I felt the strong, warm diablo winds and had to step over an eucalyptus branch on my porch that must have been blown at least 150 ft from trees uphill. It brought back the memories from 15 years ago. This late Indian Summer weather is particularly dangerous wherever you live in the city. Please be extra vigilant. Put those leaves in the green can and use a flashlight instead of a candle for those jack-o-lanterns! Today I attended the Fire Department's ceremony recognizing their heroes who risk their lives for the community every day. One award was given in honor of the late Lt. Ray Gatchalian, our neighbor on Aspinwall Drive, who fought in the firestorm and who was known for his great heart and community service. Ray, my mentor when I received a Kellogg Fellowship, produced a video to give young Oaklanders a voice about violence in the city and worked on many international aid projects. The Gatchalian Award was presented to Ray's widow, Evie, and to Battalion Chief Peyton, who leads Oakland firefighters in mutual assistance duties fighting wildfires. One award went to firefighter who shielded bed ridden man with his body and shared his oxygen until help arrived. Another went to a young firefighter who went back into a burning home a second time to find a child buried under clothes on a bed. The 4 year old was delighted to pin the medal on! One of the final awards was presented in honor of Battalion Chief James Riley, one of the 25 people who lost their lives in the Oakland Firestorm. If you are hiking in Shepherd Canyon, several plaques on the front of the Snake Road fire station honor Oakland firefighters and one honors Chief Riley. (See Below). I spent much of this week attending the National Recycling Coalition meeting, learning more about the role cities must play to reduce waste and affect global warming. Yesterday I helped lead a local discussion on these same issues at the Association of Bay Area Governments meeting and I believe the Bay Area can lead the nation on these questions. Over the next months I hope to talk with many of you about what we can do on the local level (See 6-7). Finally, I am again behind in emails but will work on them over the weekend...please contact me again if you sent me a message again if you do not hear from me by Tuesday.  Jean Quan Vice Mayor, District 4 Council Member
(Left) Memorial Plaque for Battalion Chief Riley and Officer John Grubensky, 2 of the 25 Firestorm victims, on the wall of the Shepherd Canyon Fire Station. Over 200 people gathered at the Rockridge Station around the wall of tiles made by Firestorm survivors. Mayors Elihu Harris and Tom Bates, Fire Chief Farrell, Council Member Marge Gibson, and many survivors and their families shared their experiences. The strongest messages of the day were: 1) Be ready to leave home quickly and know several evacuation routes; 2) Know your neighbors; 3) a message from one of the tiles, "Always use your best China." Citizens of Oakland Respond to Emergencies (CORE)
Classes: A series of free classes to help families and
neighborhoods organize for disaster preparedness. Upcoming
CORE I classes on Home & Family Preparedness are available
for Wednesday, November 18, 6:30 - 9 pm, or
Tuesday, December 5, 3-5:30 pm. All classes are held at
the Office of Emergency Services, 1605 Martin Luther King,
Jr. Way. Advanced registration required. CORE Disaster Safety (First Aid) Training, Sunday, November 5 at 6232 Estates Drive, Noon to 4:30 pm, rain or shine. Eagle Scout candidate Stephen Bennett and his Boy Scout Troop 202 will play "victims" as you practice your First Aid skills under the guidance of Arthur Hsieh, Chief Paramedic of San Francisco. For details, contact Barrett Johnson at 338-0254.
Help restore the Gateway Emergency Preparedness Center.
Many of you know that Firestorm survivors Sue Piper of my
office and her husband, Gordon, led the efforts to build the
Gateway Emergency Preparedness Exhibit Center--overlooking
Highway 24. Recently, someone vandalized the site. The City
cleaned up the graffiti and repaired the railing, but
educational panels needs to be replaced, at a cost of
approximately $2000 If you can help, please send your
donation to the North Hills Landscape Committee, noting it
is for the Gateway repair, 9 North Hill Court, Oakland, CA
94618. For details, contact
Gordon Piper
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. For the third year, my office joins together with leaders combating domestic violence and the sexual exploitation in Oakland to discuss new efforts to fight these problems and critical needs. Join us Monday, October 30th, Noon to 2 pm, in the City Council Chambers for our report. Speakers include:
If you or someone you know needs help. The Alameda County Family Justice Center's Alameda County Family Justice Center is the place to start for help. Alameda County Overnight Emergency Response Team, 510.757.5123 provides emergency assistance to women and children in immediate danger, M-F 5 pm to 9 am, 24 hours weekends and holidays. A Safe Place Alternative Needs Office Equipment .
The Family Justice Center plans on opening a Safe Place
Alternative (SPA) at the Family Justice Center on October
23rd, but requires at least two computers, two printers, a
fax machine and Internet service. The SPA will be open
Monday through Friday, 9 am to 6 pm. This Safe Place
Alternative will be a drop in site for sexually exploited
minors providing services and counseling; it will also
provides a central location where professionals and
community members can access information and resources for
Sexually Exploited Minors. If you can help out, please
contact
Nola Brantley
Dimond Howl-o-ween Parade & Pet Costume Party, Saturday, Oct. 28, 6-9 pm: Paws & Claws, the Natural Pet Food Store & Bathhouse in the Dimond, 2023 MacArthur Blvd. organizes an annual event for humans and their pets. Meet in front of Paws & Claws at 6 pm to parade through the Dimond District to collect treats. Return to "Paws & Claws" at 6:30 pm for an outdoor party behind store. High Seas Halloween: October 27-29 at Lake Merritt. Join the crew as they search for Long John's gold-filled treasure chest. Treasure Hunt Boat Trip encourages costumes and eatable Halloween crafts. Presented by Oakland Parks & Recreation in conjunction with the Rotary Nature Center.$5 adults, $3 children age 12 or older. For reservations call 238 -2196. Ships sail from 6:30 -7:30 pm and from 7 - 8 pm. Private party charter for groups of 15, $50 2nd Annual Haunted Harbor and Boat Parade: Saturday, October 28 at Jack London Square. Join family fun with magicians, dancers, games, prizes, giveaways, a concert and a costume contest for children, adults and dogs. Kids can decorate Trick or Treat bags with the ProArts artists or be captivated by the "Mystery Machine" that transforms into a theater for children who want to watch their favorite Halloween special. Spooky Science Laboratory Halloween Party at Chabot,
Saturday, October 28, 10 am4 pm: Bats, spiders, and
slime! Spooky punch for all and lots of ghoulish fun with
guest appearances by the Astro Wizard and special costumed
friends! Come dressed in Costume! Redwood Heights Haunted House: October 29-31 at Redwood Heights Recreation Center from 7-9 pm. $1 per entry. Montclair Lion's Club Annual Halloween Parade: Gather on Halloween, October 31st, 3 pm at the Montclair Park entrance near the Bank of America on Mountain, parade goes pass Medau down LaSalle to Moraga and ends at Montclair Park, 3:30 pm. Sue Piper, from our office, will be riding in a vintage car! For more information, contact the Montclair Lions Club at montclairlions@gmail.com Maxwell Park Organizes Walking Groups for Young and Old on Halloween: 1) Monticello and Virginia, 6 pm, leader - Adele Foley ; 2) Brookdale and Renwick, 6:30 pm, Vee and Jim. 3) Fleming and Rawson, 6pm, Claudia or John; 4) Morcom and Simmons, 6 pm, Sherna; 5) Fleming and Madera, 6 pm, Walter; 6) Cole and Brookdale, 6pm, Tim. HALLOWEEN WILL BE 4H "SIGHT NIGHT" IN MAXWELL PARK for the Gift of Sight Foundation. On Sight Night, "ghouls" and boys collect used eyewear which is cleaned, repaired and delivered people in developing countries who couldn't otherwise afford them. If you have any old glasses you can contribute, please email Grace your address and leave them on your front porch (or somewhere) for the 4Hers to pick up between Friday, October 27th and Wednesday, November 1st.
This is one of my favorite holidays, feeling very much like a trip to Mexico. It also reminds me of the Chinese custom of visiting the graves of our ancestors, cleaning the grave stones, offering incense, flowers and food. Visiting the beautiful ofrendas such as the one to the left are a way to honor the past, family roots, and to confront and talk about life and death. Dia de Los Muertos Fruitvale Festival, Sunday, November 5th, on International Boulevard between Fruitvale Avenue and 41st Avenue and in the Fruitvale Village Plaza near the BART station. Oakland hosts the largest celebration in the Bay Area, with more than 100,000 people are expected, 150 vendor exhibitors, and expanded arts and crafts displays with over 40 altars ranging from local merchants to non-profit organizations and public agencies. Food vendors will line the streets offering up their goods and services. Five entertainment stages with live music and dancing feature a diverse musical lineup, ranging from world-class artists to local youth performers and various types of music including Salsa, Merengue, Afro-Cuban music, Banda, Cumbia, and Norteρo music.Traditional dance will include Aztec Dancers as well as Ballet Folklσrico and others. The Unity Council is looking for volunteers to help in their crafts and other booths, if you can spare a few hours they will train and feed you. Contact lrojas@unitycouncil.org
This year's Oakland
Museum exhibit celebrating the colorful Latino/Chicano
tradition of honoring the dead, Laughing Bones/Weeping
Hearts: Dias de los Muertos 2006 is on view through
Sunday, December 3. It features 9 artists and an amazing
Muertorider Auto.
Fairfax and High: (Left)Melrose/High Hopes NCPC (Beat 27X) President Preston Turner, Lt. Sharon Williams, Neighborhood Services Co-coordinator Araina Richards and citizen volunteers prepare to walk door-to-door inviting neighbors to the next crime prevention council meeting. meeting. The Melrose/High Hopes NCPC meets 7PM the third Thursday of each month at Horace Mann School. Now that the M&W site is closed again, the new beat officer, Gregory Loud, has been helping us reduce the persistent drug dealing at visible this corner for decades. Evidence of drug dealing at other businesses at this corner has led to the eviction of additional businesses near this problem corner. Keep reporting any evidence of drug dealing on the streets, in or near businesses to 238-DRUG. Upper Maple Traffic Monitoring: After debating the usefulness of additional traffic signs Upper Maple/Wilshire neighbors agreed to try more police enforcement and neighborhood education. The leaflet for neighbors is being finalized, but last week the police placed a speed cart on Maple. Police ticketing often follows. Penny Saver Improvements: Melrose neighbors ranked the drug trafficking in the parking lot at this market on Foothill as one of their top three concerns. We have worked with the owner on improving lighting, parking lot landscaping, and restricting access. The result is a brighter store front and parking area resulting a marked reduction in loitering and suspected drug activity. Thank the owners for their cooperation if you're in the neighborhood! Allendale NCPC Wins Eviction: Thanks to the hard work of neighbors and police, council, and nuisance property staff, tenants of a problem property at 2877 38th Avenue near Allendale School have been evicted. This apartment had multiple issues with drug dealing and loitering activities. Our office, the Allendale NCPC and Police have been working on this situation for almost two years. An agreement with the tenant was reached earlier this week.
At this Tuesday's Council meeting, I'm sponsoring a resolution proclaiming Wednesday, November 15 America Recycles Day in Oakland. While Oakland and the Bay Area are at the forefront of this movement nationally, we are not yet fully using the recycling infrastructure literally at our disposal. The average American recycles 30% and throws away over 1,130 pounds of waste per year. For every person in the US, about 1,060 pounds of CO2 equivalent comes from the garbage we throw out every year. Each person who increases our recycling by 5%, will remove 53 pounds of CO2 equivalent from the atmosphere. City staff will be going out to community organizations to get your ideas. This Wednesday, November 1st, 7 pm, Peter Slote of our recycling staff will be speaking to the Dimond Improvement Association at the Dimond Library. The City of Oakland and Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA) are sponsoring a reuse artwork contest for students in the Oakland schools. MOCHA will be hosting a workshop for children on how to make art from reusable materials on Saturday, November 4 at their locale at 435 Water Street from 4 to 7 pm.
Part of getting to "zero waste" is preventing wasteful products from reaching us "upstream." Banning polystyrene, commonly known by Dow chemical's Styrofoam name, will reduce landfill by 15-25% in volume. Oakland Green Food Ware Fair, Thursday, November 16, 3-5 pm, at the Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th Street. In preparation for the ban of Styrofoam/polystyrene take out food ware on January 1, 2007, we are sponsoring a fair to explain the new ordinance to restaurants, food vendors, and retailers. Distributors of compostable and biodegradable products will display their products. City staff will explain how restaurants and other commercial ventures can reduce their garbage bills by recycling food waste. The Oakland Rotary's E-Waste Recycling Event, Saturday, October 28th, 8 am-5 pm at RPM Warehouse, 414 Lesser Street. Acceptable items include: Televisions, consoles and monitors; computer systems & components (keyboards, mouses, internet devices, etc; copy and fax machines; stereo equipment, CDs & DVDs; printers & toner cartridge; MP3 players; scanners, cameras; cellular phones & batteries and household phones. If you have 20 or more computer systems (or large items), contact Greg Rosenberg at Universal Waste Management at 888-832-9839.
Did you take advantage of your Bulky Pick-Up This Year?
Call Waste Management of Alameda County (WMAC) at
613-8710 to schedule your pickup appointment before the end
of the year.
For more information.
(Left) Beautiful art deco detail on the Fox Theater. Heading into the last days to vote...Cleveland Cascades moved up to 12th, the Fox Theater slipped to 4...let's get them into the top 10! American Express Partners in Preservation is running a web poll which will be used in distributing over a million in funds. Two great Oakland sites are among the twenty-five choices and need our help. The Fox Theater, the amazing downtown art deco era theater that is about to be reopened after decades sitting empty, slipped to fourth place. The Cleveland Cascades near Lake Merritt slipped out of the top ten to thirteen! The neighborhood near the lake has been organizing a great grass roots effort to research the original design and raise funds.
You can vote once every day until October 31st! Tell
your friends to vote! Please help these grand beauties!
<<Solar Cooks at Glenview School make S'mores with sun powered ovens made from foil and pizza boxes. Help Horace Mann Elementary Reclaim its Library. The school library was dismantled in 2002 when the building modernization project began. The books are now ready to be cleaned up and put back on the shelves. Please join them, if you can on Thursday, November 2 from 9:30 - 12:30 pm. For details, contact Jeanne Nixon. Creating Inclusive Environments for LGBT Families in East Bay Schools . The Family Coalition (OFC) and the East Bay Community Foundation hosts an elementary school forum on Wednesday, October 25 from 5:30-8:30 pm at the James Irvine conference Center, 353 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza. The forum is designed to give parents, school administrators and teachers an introduction to some of the groundbreaking strategies for creating inclusive and welcoming environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) parents and children. A light dinner will be served at 5:30 pm. The program begins promptly at 5:50 pm. Free child-care available, please contact Kevin at (415)981-1960. Montera After School Jazz Band: Montera Middle School, known for its strong music program, lost the director of their after school Jazz Band when Thom Kwiatkowski was promoted to Vice Principal. The club will be taught by Kahlil Shaheed of the Oaktown Jazz Workshop, students and parents have raised $2200 of $4,500 to cover his costs. If you can help, send checks to "Montera Music Program" c/o Ms. Angela Archie, Music Director, Montera School, 5555 Ascot Drive, Oakland 94611. Donations to the program are tax deductible. The Jazz Club is having a fundraiser at Compadres Restaurant on Park Blvd. November 7-9. 15% of all proceeds from diners using coupons from the club (available at Montera and Compadres) will be donated to the program. For more information, Carolyn Marringa Glenview Elementary School Garden Work Day, November 12, 9 am to 1 pm. Join parents and students in planting a scented garden for the visually impaired students, as well as a long sunny border of native and drought tolerant plants. Bring marked tools and gloves. If you are interested in donating to the project or would like more information, please contact Carla Moore, 530-5065. (Above) While you're there check out the solar panel on the playground, here at the ribbon cutting. Electricity generated by the panel can be monitored at this site. Teen Rap & Poetry Contest,The Dimond Branch Library is sponsoring a contest for teenagers ages 12 to 19 and will sponsor free workshops to prepare submissions. Teens may submit up to three raps or poems by Friday, November 17. Gift certificates will be awarded to the top three poems or reaps, and all submissions have a chance to be published in a Teen Chapbook. Cottage in the Woods Preschool's Annual Arts and Crafts Faire Extraordinaire! Get a head start on your shopping in this country cottage setting, all decked out for the holidays! Gifts and fun activities for the children while you shop. Ceramics, Glass, Knitted scarves and Hats, Jewelry, Photography and more! Saturday, November 18 from 10-5. 3917 Lyman Road. 531-3121.
If you want to check your polling site or have lost your voter handbook, you can find what you need at the League of Women Voters' Smart Voter website. This guide is always invaluable with such a long ballot...and as a League member myself, I find their recommendations very useful. Vote Early- Now through November 7, Election Day: Alameda County Registrar of Voters, 1225 Fallon Street, Room G-1, 272-6973, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Open Saturday, November 4 and Sunday, November 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Hours on Election Day, Tuesday, November 7 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Extra Postage for Absentee Ballots: If you vote by absentee ballot remember they must be mailed to arrive by election day. This year's ballot is so heavy you have to use two stamps! Make sure your vote is counted, mail early or deliver your ballot to the Registrar of Voters Office or to your polling site on election day and add the extra stamp.
UniverSoul Circus closes Sunday, October 29. This lively African American circus is here for its annual visit. They are camped at Oakport, 60th at Zhone Way. Tickets available at Ticketmaster. For groups of 20 or more, call 800-316-7439. Supervisor Nate Miley Sponsors Oakland Town Hall Meeting, Monday, October 30, 6:30-8:30 pm at Sequoyah Community Church, 4292 Keller Avenue. Hear about the 2006-07 County budget; Countywide Violence Prevention Plan, Services to and Collaboration with Oakland. For details, contact Darryl Stewart at 891-5586. Thomas Cahill Speaks about our Fascination with Knights,Castles, and all things Medieval,Thursday, November 2 at 7:00 pm at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Avenue. In his new book, Mysteries of the Middle Ages (the fifth volume in his Hinges of History series), Thomas Cahill answers these questions and more. Co-sponsored by A Great Good Place for Books and St. Paul's Episcopal Church. $5.00 suggested donation 6th Annual Small Business Symposium. The City and Council member Larry Reid sponsor a Small Business Symposium Thursday, November 2, 8 am - 5 pm at the Oakland Marriott/ Convention Center,1001 Broadway. Dozens of workshops will be offered throughout the day with topics ranging from business plan development, bookkeeping and accounting for start up businesses to how to gain access to capital. Advanced registration is required. Call 986-2855 or register on-line Become a Master Composter through a free certificated course. Participants receive training in the art and science of basic and worm composting, soil health, and Bay Friendly gardening techniques and use this knowledge to train others through a community outreach project. Participants receive a compost bin, composting and gardening books, including the East Bay Municipal Utility District's "Plants and Landscapes for Summer Climates of the SF Bay Region." Teachers who complete the program are eligible for a $200 stipend to use towards school gardens and/or classroom compost activities. Complete an application by January 12, 2007. Classes will meet Tuesday nights early February to mid-May, with 2 Saturday field trips.
Recently, Richard Cowan, who works on retail issues for our office, worked with representatives of merchants, the Dimond Improvement Association, and the county vector staff to address the issue. As a result City staff has thinned trees to discourage nesting in front of stores. We will also be talking to merchants about netting, moveable owls, and other devices on their buildings to discourage roosting. Experts tell us the most important thing we can do, is to discourage the public from feeding the pigeons in these areas. I am authoring an ordinance similar to those adopted in other large cities to prohibit the feeding of pigeons in commercial areas. This would not affect parks or other species of birds. Address comments or questions to Richard Cowan, Chief of Staff, 238-7041.
Former Vice-President Al Gore examines the scientific evidence for global warming in this feature-length documentary film. I promise it isn't boring. Interspersed with anecdotes from his own life, Gore makes a compelling case for the phenomenon and suggests ways to halt the effect on the planet and its inhabitants.
The Melrose Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council provides baskets for needy families at Horace Mann School each year. If you can donate a turkey or other food, contact Carmen Perez in our office.
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